


The Angel of Balcony 5

by BadWolfRose (BadWolf1988)



Category: Ghost Adventures (TV), Real Person Fiction
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Family, Fluff, Hawaii, Paranormal, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-02-11 12:59:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 5,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12935805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadWolf1988/pseuds/BadWolfRose
Summary: When the Ghost Adventures' crew arrives on the big island of Hawaii to investigate a local haunted theatre, Zak meets a woman with one hell of a backstory. She tells him about a ghost that is more friend than foe.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Do I own the Travel Channel? Nope. Do I own Ghost Adventures? Negative, Ghost Rider. Do I own Zak Bagans? Umm... owning people is a no-no in the United States. We keep having to slap ‘President’ Trump on the hand and tell him “No, bad Donald!” every time he tries to change that law.
> 
> Disclaimer II: Gemma is not a real person. I know I made her the daughter of someone famous (not saying who because... ‘spoilers, sweetie’) but she is NOT a real person. Hell, I even stole her name from a character on 'Sons of Anarchy'.
> 
> Disclaimer III: 'Hook' is copyright TriStar Pictures and Steven Spielberg. All quotes in italic are taken from the script. I make no claims of ownership.
> 
> As always, a big thank you to my beta reader, Meghan (Christlove88)

_**Iao Theatre** _

_**Wailuku, Hawaii** _

_**Early December** _

“Leilani, are you kidding me?” Gemma looked at her boss like she had lost her mind.

“I'm not kidding.” The middle-aged tiny Hawaiian woman shook her head. “It's free publicity and ticket sales have been down this quarter.”

“Amateur ghost hunters is not the type of clientele we want coming through the doors and that's exactly what we'll get if you go through with this.” Gemma stomped her foot down on the hardwood floor causing a loud thud. Almost immediately, an answering thud came from the second floor. “Knock it off, Lil Pele! This is all your freakin' fault!”

“Gemma, you're literally arguing with a ghost right now, keiki.” Leilani gave her a mothering look. “It's three weeks out of our year. We won't be closed that long. What if I let you start production on a new show in that time? You've been wanting to do a production of 'Hook' for forever. Ano tells me that Delaney might even be trained enough to take on the role of Maggie Banning...”

So. Leilani was going to use straight up nepotism against her. While Leilani was no blood relation of Gemma's, the kindly theatre owner had taken her in when she was eighteen and pregnant. She had turned both Gemma and her five-year-old daughter into two very different theatre rats. Gemma was now the director and executive producer of the theatre company. At twenty-three, she was the youngest director on the islands and one of the youngest in the industry. Her daughter, Delaney, had loved the stage since she had learned to walk and talk. So far, the kindergartner had only had a small background role. Now here Leilani was offering the child one of the starring roles in her favorite story. See. Nepotism.

“Fine,” Gemma sighed, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. “I'll play nice with the Ghost Adventures crew... but I'm building a brand new pirate ship for Captain Hook. I'm not using the one from our production of 'Treasure Island'.”

 

 

[ _**MY WEBSITE** _ ](http://www.badwolfrose.com)


	2. Chapter 2

“Excuse me.” Gemma looked up from her copy of the play script to find a bulked up, extremely handsome man wearing a tight green t-shirt and cargo shorts. She knew who he was right away. “I'm looking for Gemma Thomas.”

“That's me.” Gemma jotted a quick lighting note on page 5 of the script before setting it aside. “You must be Mr. Bagans?” She barely stopped herself from making a 'Lord of the Rings' joke.

“Zak, please.”

“Zak it is,” Gemma nodded, coming around the ticket desk to stand in front of him. Her 5'4 frame made her feel like a little person compared to the famous ghost hunter. “You can call me, Gemma, everyone around here does. Leilani said you needed me to show you where to set up your cameras, right?'

Zak nodded before stuffing his hands into his pockets. “I was hoping that you could provide me with a little background on the purported haunting here?”

“I'm sure you have a staging crew and we're closed for the duration of your visit. You can set up your equipment anywhere but the stage. I have rehearsals for our next show going on.” Gemma started leading him up a small, winding, metal staircase that was located next to the theatre doors. “We only have one ghost. The cast and crew have nicknamed her 'Lil Pele'.”

“Like the volcano goddess?” Zak asked as the staircase spilled out onto a balcony directly facing the stage.

“Yeah,” Gemma confirmed. “We think she's an actress named Halia Noelani who died in a stage fire here back in 1931. The theatre was doing a production of 'The Phantom of the Opera'. Halia was playing the role of Christine Daae and in one of the last scenes, she stood too close to a candelabra and her costume went up in flames. She died on stage in front of a packed crowd.”

“Wow. You have your very own Phantom,” Zak chuckled.

“Oh, it gets better. We're standing in Balcony Five, Lil Pele's favorite place to appear. In 'The Phantom of the Opera', the Phantom's box or balcony seat is Box 5.”

Gemma watched as Zak's expression went from interested to straight up stunned.

“Do you think that Lil Pele appears here on purpose?” Zak crossed his arms and asked with genuine curiosity.

“I'd like to think so,” Gemma nodded and smiled. “The production of 'Phantom' that she was doing wasn't a musical like you'd think of today. It was based directly on the book by Gaston Leroux. She had to have read it before she died to properly understand her role and us theatre folk are a dramatic lot,” she chuckled. “Mostly we just hear her, but Lil Pele really likes to show herself to the cast on show nights, always on nights where we're going to have a good show. Believe it or not, the only time she scares the cast is when she doesn't show up.”

“Because it means that you're going to have a bad show?” Gemma nodded and laughed. “Have you ever seen her?”

“No, but I'm not a cast member,” Gemma explained. “Balcony Five can only be clearly seen from the stage.”

“Oh,” Zak looked surprised. “With the blue eyes and blonde hair, I kinda assumed you were an actress.”

Gemma knew this wasn't a pick-up line. People assumed this about her all of the time. Apparently, people found it strange if you were attractive and chose to work behind the scenes. No, the spotlight wasn't for Gemma. She would leave the fame whoring to her family. “Nope, I'm the company director and executive producer. I leave the spotlight to my baby.” She pointed over the golden railing to the stage where the cast was running lines.

“You need a mother very badly!” A tiny little imp of a girl stomped her foot and glared at the actor playing Captain Hook, her hands on her hips.

“That's your daughter?” Zak raised an eyebrow. “She's amazing.”

“Yeah, she is.” Gemma smiled fondly and leaned against the railing. “She's loved the spotlight ever since she was a baby. It's because of Lil Pele that she's so confident.”

“Really?” Zak was intrigued.

“Delaney was three when I let her onstage the first time and she was so scared. I'd cast her as an orphan in 'Annie' and she only had one line,” Gemma explained. “She was barely more than a toddler and I really didn't think that she could do it but she delivered the line perfectly. That night, after the show, when I tucked her into bed, she told me about the smiling lady in the pretty white dress who sat in this box and clapped for her.”

“Think of a way to run home. Jack! Run home!” The strawberry blonde girl cried hysterically from the stage. You would think that the Shirley Temple doubleganger was actually in trouble.

“Do you think that I could talk to her about it?” Zak inquired.

“As long as you don't use the word 'ghost'. I refer to Lil Pele as her 'friend.'”

 

 

[ _**MY WEBSITE** _ ](http://www.badwolfrose.com)

 


	3. Chapter 3

“Hey there, Delaney.” Zak took a seat across from the little girl at the small wooden table. They were in the backstage area and the child was busy working on a math worksheet that was in front of her. “My name's Zak. I'm a friend of your mom's.”

Delaney turned to look at her mother for confirmation. Gemma was seated beside her with a large day planner open in front of her. It wasn't until she was given a nod of approval that she smiled. “Hi, Zak,” she said politely.

“What are you doing there?” Zak nodded at the worksheet.

“Today's math work. Double-digit subtraction.” Delaney seemed to proud to be doing such advanced work for her age.

“Do you like going to school?” Zak seemed to be trying to make friends with the child before asking her about Lil' Pele.

“I don't go to normal school.” Delaney shook her head. “Mommy homeschools me. I do go to my homeschool study group three days a week. It's a bunch of kids and we help each other with our schoolwork. I like that. That counts as school, right?”

“It sure does.” The ghost hunter seemed genuinely amused by her childish excitement. “Delaney, your mom told me about a friend of yours and I was hoping you would talk to me about her. Do you remember seeing the lady in the white dress?”

“Yep,” Delaney nodded. “I see her sitting in the balcony whenever I'm on stage.”

“Wait,” Gemma interrupted. “You still see her, little pumpkin?” This was news to her.

“Every time I'm onstage,” Delaney confirmed. “I think she's an angel waiting to get to heaven. She's kinda like Lucifer from the Bible except she didn't fall from heaven. I don't think she's ever been.”

Gemma cast a stunned look in Zak's direction. She had no idea what to say to her daughter's revelation and was silently seeking assistance.

“Why do you think that, Delaney?” Zak gently prodded.

“Because,” Delaney shrugged, “she always acts happy when I'm onstage but right before she fades away her face gets really sad looking. A living person couldn't fade away and someone who has been to heaven can't be sad. Heaven is a perfect place, you can't be sad there... it's paradise. That means that she has to be an angel who hasn't made it to heaven yet.”

“You are one smart little lady, Delaney.” Zak smiled fondly at the little girl.

“Thanks!” Delaney beamed proudly.

“Gemma?” Zak got her attention. “Can I speak to you in private, please?”

Gemma nodded and got to her feet. She leaned down and grabbed a copy of The Princess Bride out of a pink bookbag beside the table. “Alright, little pumpkin, I want you to finish your math worksheet and then I want you to read chapter five in your book.” She laid the novel next to her daughter's worksheet.

“Okay, mommy,” Delaney said as she picked up her pencil. Before going back to work, she shot Zak a friendly smile. “It was nice to meet you, Zak.”

“It was nice meeting you too, Delaney.” Zak smiled warmly before leading her mother away.

  
  


Zak led Gemma to the hallway outside the backstage area. “How old is Delaney?”

“She turned five on Halloween,” Gemma chuckled. She loved it when her daughter's advanced intelligence surprised people. It let her know that she was doing a good job as a mother and teacher.

“How does she know so much about Christian theology?” Zak quizzed. “I've never met a kid her age who was that spiritually aware.”

“She does thirty minutes of Bible study every day as part of her curriculum. I also take to church every Sunday as St. Theresa's Catholic Church,” she explained.

Gemma had spent her childhood bouncing between her mom and dad's houses. One lived in Colorado and the other in Hawaii. When she was with her mom in Denver, she was exposed to a free love, hippy lifestyle. Her mother had a new boyfriend every other week and wasn't shy about discussing sex around her. When she was with her dad on the big island, she was forced to subscribe to his and her stepmom's hypocritical evangelical version of Christianity. All of this spiritual confusion had led Gemma down a very dark path. Wanting to rebel against her father's form of Christianity, she had embraced her mother's free love philosophy. This led her to find what she thought was true love with a young Hell's Angels biker. As soon as he saw the two pink lines of a positive pregnancy test, Gemma was seeing dust as he rode out of town on his Harley. Eighteen and pregnant, her mom had shipped her off to live with her dad in Hawaii. She soon grew tired of being treated like a disappointment by her dad and like a second-class citizen by her step-mom because Gemma wasn't her kid. That's when she had met Leilani and, with her help, took control of her own destiny. She was determined that her daughter wouldn't follow in her footsteps. Raising her as a Christian would give her a strong moral base. It didn't matter what Delaney chose to believe in later, at least she would have a spiritual understanding.

“You know, I always said that I never wanted kids but I've gotta admit... I'd rethink that position if they were all like your kid.” Zak leaned back against the hallway wall.

“I'll take that as a compliment.” Gemma smiled. She was quickly finding herself warming to the paranormal investigator. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad having him around for a little while after all.

“You were meant to.” Zak nodded and smiled.

 

 

_**[MY WEBSITE](http://www.badwolfrose.com) ** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To anyone who wants to judge the fact that Delaney is homeschooled... just don't go there. It will not end well for you. I know that because of people like the Duggar family there is a false impression that all homeschooled children are from fanatical religious families. While, yes, there are families like that (the Duggars, for example, teach their children that the earth is only 10,000 years old and that man was around at the same time as the dinosaurs... science be damned) there are families that homeschool simply to provide a better, fuller education for their children. I was homeschooled and graduated at sixteen-years-old. My friend Nick (who's actually typing this for me) was also homeschooled. The only religious education we got was from church on Sundays and 30 minutes a day reading the Bible (our moms gave us this lesson together because we lived in the same neighborhood). We wouldn't trade our homeschool education or the bonds we formed with our mothers (and each other) for anything. When done PROPERLY, homeschool students can learn more than public/private school students and have an easier time getting into college. Please, stop judging us all based off of one insane family. The Duggars do NOT speak for all homeschool families... or all Christians for that matter.


	4. Chapter 4

Over the next few days, Zak and the rest of his team toured the theater, documenting the building and its history. Gemma went about her business as usual. They were opening on December thirty-first and there was still a lot that needed to be done. The sets needed to be completed and the cast still had a lot of rehearsing to do.

“Alright, Delaney, I want you to remember when you deliver your line that you feel bad for Captain Hook. He doesn't have a mommy to teach him right from wrong like you do.” Gemma gave her stuck daughter a little motivation. “Try it again, Little Pumpkin.”

Delaney gently tugged on the sleeve of the actor playing Peter Pan. The man was holding a sword to the chest of the actor playing Captain Hook as he laid sprawled on the floor of the stage. “Daddy, let's go home, please? He's just a mean old man without a mommy.”

“Good job, kiddo!” Gemma clapped just as her phone went off. Checking her text messages, she found that she had a text message from her older sister. “Delaney, your auntie's out in the lobby waiting for you.” She was about to get a rare night off from parenting while her daughter enjoyed a sleepover with her cousins.

Delaney's eyes lit up as she scampered down the stage steps and grabbed her backpack off of the ground next to her mom's director stand. “Bye, mommy, I love you.” She gave her mom a quick kiss on the cheek before disappearing.

“Where's Shirley Temple off to so fast?”

Gemma looked up from the rehearsal schedule she was writing to find Zak standing in front of her. “To spend the night watching movies with her auntie and cousins.”

“That's too bad.” Zak stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I was going to ask if I could take the two of you out to dinner. I guess it'll just be the two of us.”

“Excuse me?” Gemma raised an eyebrow. She could easily understand why Zak would want to spend time with Delaney. The pair seemed to have bonded. When he wasn't busy, Zak seemed to enjoy haunting the backstage area during Delaney's lessons and had even helped her study her spelling words the previous day. On short breaks from filming, he could be found seated in the front row of the audience, behind the director's stand, watching rehearsals. Delaney had charmed Zak the same way that she seemed to charm all adults she met. Gemma could understand Zak wanting to spend time with her daughter but what did he want with her?

“I'm attempting to ask you on a date, Gemma... very poorly apparently,” Zak gave an awkward laugh.

“Wait, you were originally going to take me and Delaney out on a date?” Gemma couldn't keep the smile off of her face if she tried.

“Well, your kid's kinda awesome and I wanted you to know that I know you're a package deal,” Zak shrugged. “So, what do you say? Can I take you out tonight?”

A man hadn't shown a true interest in her since Delaney's father and Zak's interest took her completely off guard. “I'd like that,” she smiled.

 

 

_**[MY WEBSITE](http://www.badwolfrose.com) ** _

 


	5. Chapter 5

**ROYAL KONA LUAU**

**ROYAL KONA RESORT**

Gemma was surprised, and pleasantly so, when Zak took her to a luau instead of out to some fancy restaurant. In all the years that she had lived in Hawaii, she had never actually attended one.

“You live in Hawaii and you've never been to a luau?” Zak laughed when she told him. They had just finished dinner and were taking a stroll on the beach while they waited for the Polynesian Revue to start.

“What? Why is that so weird? I'm a single mom, I homeschool, and I have a full-time career.” Gemma got a little defensive.

Zak came to a stop and pulled her to sit down between his legs in the sand. They could clearly see the stage from their spot so they wouldn't miss the show. “Yeah, you're Super Woman and you have the kick-ass job and kid to prove it. How exactly did that happen?” He wrapped his arms loosely around her waist.

“I believed the first idiot who ever told me that he loved me,” Gemma laughed bitterly. “Hot biker dudes may be good for pissing off your father and reminding him of his past but they also tend to run when confronted by two pink lines. I haven't seen or heard from Danny since I told him that I was pregnant with Delaney.”

“His loss, someone smarter's gain.” Zak gave her waist a gentle squeeze to emphasise his words. He was letting her know that he wasn't an idiot. “Why would you be wanting to piss off your old man in the first place?”

Gemma cringed slightly. Why did he have to ask her that question?

“We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.” He must have sensed that she was uncomfortable. “I'm just trying to get to know you, sweetheart.”

“I'm one of thirteen kids but if you read my dad's official biography, it says that he only has twelve. That's because the time of my conception just so happens to coincide with the time frame of when my dad first hooked up with my stepmom. She doesn't like to be reminded that she didn't always exclusively have my father's affection. I'm also the third daughter to get pregnant out of wedlock. That wasn't good for his Christian image.” If Zak really wanted to get to know her, her family wasn't something she could hide.

“Who the fuck is your dad that he cares more about his public image and marriage than he does about his own daughter and granddaughter?” Zak actually seemed outraged on her behalf and it gave Gemma a pleasant warm feeling in the pit of her stomach.

“Duane Chapman but you probably know him as Dog the Bounty Hunter. My birth name is Chapman but I changed it to Thomas, my mom's last name when I was eighteen. I think my stepmom was actually relieved about it. It upset my brothers and older sister though.” Gemma actually found herself comfortable sharing.

“I'm sorry, sweetheart.” Zak leaned in a little and dropped a kiss to her cheek. “I hope you're at least close to your brothers and sisters.”

“Some of them. We weren't all raised together. My dad's been married five times and has had a lot of girlfriends. My stepmom, Beth, keeps her three kids away from us older kids as much as she can. One brother died before I was born and my older sister, Barbara Katie, died in a car crash in 2006. My brother Tucker's in prison on a robbery conviction and I've never even met Christopher. The only ones I'm close to are my older brothers, Duane Lee, Leland, and Wesley and my older sister, Lyssa.”

“Wow, sweetheart, you have a soap opera cast for a family tree,” Zak teased good-naturedly.

“Now's your chance to run.” Gemma was only half-joking. Her family was a lot to take in. They didn't end up on reality television by being normal, that's for damn sure.

“Not a chance,” Zak laughed. “I'm keeping you, I've decided.”

“And just how do you plan on keeping me?” Gemma inquired. “I'm not opposed to long-term but you don't live on the islands,” she pointed out the obvious. She didn't see how they could make a long-distance relationship work.

“No, I don't. I live in Vegas. That's not that far away by plane. I could spend time here when I'm not working and I'd love to have you and Delaney visit me in Nevada.” This time when he leaned down and kissed her, he aimed for the side of her neck.

Gemma turned in his arms so that she was seated on her knees in the sand between his legs. “You really are serious about having a relationship with me, aren't you?” When you came from a family like the Chapmans and you had a past like hers, it was always shocking when someone saw the good in you.

“Dead serious.” Zak reached up and cupped her cheek. “What do you say, Gemma, do you feel like being my girl?”

She really did and she told him so.

Zak's response was to coax her closer so he could lay a soft kiss on her lips as the lights near the stage dimmed and the sounds of tribal drums filled the air. They were too caught up in each other to even care about the show.

 

 

**_[MY WEBSITE](http://www.badwolfrose.com) _ **


	6. Chapter 6

It was a week later and the Saturday before Christmas when Zak had finally gotten around to taking both Gemma and Delaney out on a ‘date’. It was after the _Ghost Adventures_ crew had finally wrapped shooting in the theater and, this time, he had chosen _Dave & Busters_ as their destination. Zak had taken to having dinner with Gemma and Delaney at their house and just the previous night, Gemma had confided that it was nice to be able to sit back and have a drink and relax, knowing that there was another adult in the house in case of an emergency. A nightly glass of wine was a mom treat that she wasn't normally able to partake in. This had apparently given Zak the idea of taking the girls out to the adult and kid-friendly arcade. Gemma had gotten to indulge in her newfound love of strawberry watermelon margaritas while Zak sipped on soda without complaint.

“Hey, you two, that's called cheating!” Gemma lightly admonished. Zak and Delaney were playing skee ball and Zak was picking the little girl up so she could simply drop the balls into the ten thousand point hole.

Zak made a big production out of freezing while still holding Delaney up. The little girl followed his lead and froze with her arm outstretched over the ten thousand point hole, holding the ball. “I have no idea what your mother's talking about, do you?” Zak innocently asked the kid in his arms.

Nope,” the airborne child shook her head and let the ball drop from her hand into the hole. “Oops!”

“You two jokers are ridiculous,” Gemma shook her head and laughed.

“Gem, what are you and Delaney doing for Christmas?” Zak asked a short time later while they sat at their table sharing a pizza.

“My older brother, Leland, just got divorced and has been acting depressed so I was going to have him and his kids over for a family dinner. Duane Lee might join us as well. Why?” Gemma tried not to cringe when she looked to her left and saw Delaney's brand new sundress stained with tomato sauce.

“I don't have any real plans and I was hoping you wouldn't mind me intruding on yours? It would mean I get to spend a few more days with you ladies before I have to head back to Vegas for work.” Zak reached across the table and took her hand in his.

“We'd love to have you,” Gemma smiled. “Right, Delaney?”

“Right,” the little girl with the pizza stained mouth nodded with a grin on her face that soon turned serious. “Zak, you're going to be back in time for opening night, right?” she asked worriedly.

“Of course, princess. I wouldn't miss it for the world.” Zak was quick to assure her. “I'll be here for opening night in the front row, I promise.”

“Good,” Delaney smiled as she wiped her hands on her napkin. “Mommy, can I go play some more games?”

“Sure, little pumpkin.” Gemma passed her the cup of tokens.

“Stay where we can see you!” Zak reminded the girl as she ran off towards the Pac-Man machine.

“Zak,” Gemma gave him a worried look and tried to pull her hand away from his but he wouldn't let her, refusing to loosen his grip. “You don't have to make those kinds of promises to her.”

“Yes, I do.” Zak brought his girlfriend's hand to his lips and laid a kiss on her knuckles. “I want her to know that I'm sticking around for the long haul. I want her to know that she's important to me. The best way to show her that is by making promises and keeping them.”

Gemma suddenly found herself with a lump in her throat and tears clouding her vision. Had her father ever kept a single promise that he had made her? She didn't think so.

“Sweetheart, please, don't cry.” Zak was out of his seat in a flash, crouching down next to her. “I'm not your old man so get those thoughts out of your pretty head.” He reached up and wiped away a lone tear that made its way down her cheek.

How in the hell had he known that she was thinking about her dad? “I know,” she said with all the confidence in the world in her voice. “You keep proving that.”

“And I'll keep trying to prove it to you until you understand that I'm playing for keeps when it comes to you and Delaney.” He smiled before leaning up to steal a kiss.

 

 

**_[MY WEBSITE](http://www.badwolfrose.com) _ **

 


	7. Chapter 7

**CHRISTMAS**

 

“Sweetheart, leave that until morning.” Zak wrapped his arms around Gemma's waist from behind and laid a kiss on her neck. She was attempting to make some headway on the mountain of dirty dishes that were piled in her sink. “You've been on your feet all day. Take a break.”

Gemma turned off the tap and turned in his arms. “Did you enjoy yourself today?” she asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I did,” he dropped a kiss to her lips. “I got to spend the day with my two favorite girls. Your brothers were pretty cool, even if Leland was kind of a downer.”

“Yeah, I'm hoping he'll snap out of that funk sometime soon.” Leland had spent most of the day pouting. “I really enjoyed having you here today.” It had almost felt like she had a real, normal family.

“There's nowhere else I'd rather be, sweetheart.” He gently kissed her forehead before pulling back to look in her eyes. “I love you, Gemma. If I'm grateful for only one thing in my entire life, it's that I met you and Delaney. I hope today was only the first of a lot more holidays spent together.” Zak actually looked like he had tears in his eyes when he was finished speaking.

“I'm hoping for the same thing because I love you too, Zak.” Tears were streaming unchecked down her face but she had a wide, watery smile on her face.

“Thank God,” Zak let out a relieved sigh before reaching up and tangling his hand in her long blonde hair. He pulled her mouth to his for a hungry kiss.

“Where's Delaney?” Gemma was out of breath when she pulled back and asked.

“She passed out on the couch watching 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' so I put her to bed half an hour ago.” Zak rained kisses down the side of her neck.

“Do you wanna stay the night?” Gemma moaned as Zak's hand found its way under her t-shirt and gently squeezed her breast.

“I thought you'd never ask, sweetheart.” His lips again found hers as he lifted her up in his arms.

 

 

**_[MY WEBSITE](http://www.badwolfrose.com) _ **


	8. Chapter 8

_** NEW YEARS EVE  ** _

_** 'HOOK' OPENING NIGHT  ** _

 

They were halfway through the opening act and Zak was still not in his front row seat. His plane should have landed over an hour earlier. Where the hell was he? He had promised Delaney that he wouldn't miss the show and if he broke that promise Gemma was going to murder him. She put on a happy face for the sake of her daughter and focused her energy on directing the show. “Spotlight on Maggie and Wendy,” she spoke into her headset.

“ _But Jack says you're not the really real Wendy.”_ Delaney gazed up innocently at the old woman who was playing the elderly Wendy Darling.

“ _Ahh. Well, do you see where Jack is, hmm? Well, that is the same window and this is the same room where we made up our bedtime stories about Peter and Neverland and scary old Captain Hook.”_

Gemma didn't check the audience again (she hadn't had time to) until the closing of the third act.

“ _Jack, you listen to me! Never let him make you forget! Never forget mommy and daddy!”_

This time when she glanced at the audience, Zak was seated in his reserved seat. A bouquet of red daisies (Delaney's favorite) sat on the seat beside him and he had a proud smile on his face as he watched Delaney onstage.

After the show, Zak met them backstage in Delaney's dressing room where he presented her with the flowers. “You were awesome tonight, princess. I'm so proud of you,” he praised the child.

“I know,” Delaney smiled and stated rather confidently. “My angel was on the balcony and she looked happy tonight.”

“Since your angel is happy, I guess it's only fair that I make all of us happy too,” Zak smiled and passed Gemma a manila envelope.

Gemma was stunned when she pulled out the deed to a theater on the Vegas strip. The deed had both of their names on it... sort of. She was listed as Gemma Marie Bagans. “Zak, what is this?”

“Our theater,” Zak shrugged. “I already own a haunted museum so I thought why not own a haunted theater as well? We could put on productions of real-life hauntings. I was thinking of even doing some children's shows. Who better to run the place than my wife? And who better to star in the kids' shows than our daughter?”

“Yo... your wife?” Gemma stuttered out in shock.

“My wife.” Zak pulled a ruby engagement ring out of his pocket. “Will you marry me, Gemma?”

“Say 'yes' mommy!” Delaney started jumping up and down in excitement beside her. “I want Zak to be my daddy!”

“Yes!” Gemma cried as Zak slipped the ring on her finger right before pulling her in for a kiss.

 

_**[MY WEBSITE](http://www.badwolfrose.com) ** _


	9. Epilogue

_** ONE YEAR LATER  ** _

  
“Mommy, it's on!” Delaney hurried to sit next to her father on the couch.

The Iao Theatre episode of ‘Ghost Adventures’ was finally airing as the show's season finale.

“Woman, get over here,” Zak pulled Gemma to sit on his lap as the episode started.

“ _Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to ‘Ghost Adventures’. Tonight, I'd like to share my all-time favorite haunting with you. I truly believe that the ghost that once haunted this theatre led me to my wife and daughter. This same ghost hasn't been spotted since my wedding here six months ago. Did the woman my daughter calls 'the angel of balcony 5' finally fulfill her purpose and cross over? Join us on our ghost adventure.”_

 

_ **FINIS** _

** [MY WEBSITE](http://www.badwolfrose.com) **

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading everybody!

**Author's Note:**

> The Iao Theatre is a real place and legend has it that it IS haunted. The haunting I mention in this story never happened there, however. I really couldn't find any information about the actual haunting in my research. Everything I found just pretty much said, “reportedly haunted”. Also, I completely made up (sort of) the layout of the theatre. I used the description of the theatre in Charlotte, North Carolina that I used to perform at as a teenager.


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